A common undertaking in the furniture restoration business is the replacement, removal and repair of upholstery on various items. Such upholstery is commonly secured in-place using staples, tacks, or other devices, which hold the upholstery to the underlying frame. While reference will generally be made herein to staples, it will be understood that the invention applies broadly to cover all securement devices, including staples and tacks. Accordingly, when the upholstery is to be replaced, removed, or repaired, it is necessary to remove at least some of the staples.
Removal of staples may be accomplished using one of a number of methods, the most common being wedging a tool beneath the staple and prying the staple from the underlying frame. For example, by using a screwdriver to wedge underneath the staple and pry it out. When removing staples in this fashion, it is common to use significant force to pry the staple from the underlying frame. This force may result in damage to the underlying frame as one end of the removal tool may scratch or dent the underlying frame. Furthermore, the upholstery may also be damaged by tearing or puncturing. If the upholstery is to be reused, it is necessary to avoid such damage. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a tool that can be used with less prying pressure against the underlying frame.
Another difficulty with wedging a tool between the staple and the underlying frame is the physical insertion of the tool, which may be difficult due to the staple being in close contact with both the upholstery and the frame. Previous tools are generally designed for prying up a staple. However, while these tools are designed to lift up the staple, they are not designed for easy insertion under the staple. Furthermore, the prying motion associated with using the tools requires more movement on the part of the user and is more prone to breaking the staple in its middle, leaving two pieces, and also further increases the chance of damage to the frame and fabric.
Many areas of an item to be upholstered are in tight corners or down in between finished pieces of wood. Current staple pullers are too large to fit into tight areas and are prone to damaging the item if used.